Tomato and Onion Tofu Quiche

I've always loved quiche; the combination of a fluffy, moist, creamy filling with a delicious, slightly crisp crust makes for an irresistible meal. Thankfully, as a vegan, I don't have to miss out on this taste sensation and have settled on a simple recipe that can be pulled together quickly and easily.

The cherry tomatoes in this quiche add a perfect touch of sweetness. There are a lot of onions in it, which is perfect for onion lovers like me and my family, but if you'd prefer less, just half the amount, and if you'd like a less stringy texture you can always dice them instead of slicing them.

To start, prepare the egg replacer:

Combine 4 tbsp of ground flax seeds with ½ cup of water in a small bowl and set aside.

Then work on the pastry mixture:

Put the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:

1 cup of almonds, ground into flour

2 cups of oats, ground into flour (use gluten free oats for a completely gluten free quiche)

1 cup of buckwheat, ground into flour (alternatively, use another cup of oats)

2 tsp dried parsely

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp paprika

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil

¼ cup of water

Mix thoroughly, until all ingredients are dampened, then kneed into a dough.

Place dough in the centre of a lightly greased, 11 inch flan dish and press out to evenly cover the base and the sides.

Put the dish in a pre heated oven at gas mark 6 for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling:

Place the following ingredients in your vitamix/food processor and pulverise until smooth:

1 12 oz (340g) pack of extra firm tofu (drain the excess liquid, but no need to press the tofu)

¼ cup of nutritional yeast

The juice of half a medium sized lemon

1½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried oregano

Transfer this mixture into a mixing bowl.

Next:

Slice 20 cherry tomatoes in half, sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and some black pepper, then fry in a little olive oil until soft. Add these to the mixing bowl.

Finely slice 2 large brown onions in a little olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Add these to the mixing bowl.

Stir the tomatoes and onions through the tofu mixture until throughly combined.

Then:

Take the crust out of the oven and spoon the filling on top so that it neatly fills the flan dish and it smooth on top.

Put the flan dish back in the oven, at the same temperature, for 30 minutes. When you remove it, the quiche should feel firm to touch on top. If it doesn't, bake for 5 minutes more.

This recipe makes 8 good size slices. I like to serve each slice with a handful of rocket, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with sea salt.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!